Into the Abyss
by Darkfirelight
Summary: Set during S8E09 "Abyss"; Chloe was more affected by knowing Clark's secret than even he thought. Will he be able to get her back?


Disclaimer: I do not own Smallville.

Summary: Set during S8E09 "Abyss"; Chloe was more affected by knowing Clark's secret than even he thought. Will he be able to get her back?

* * *

Clark frowned as he walked through the Talon building, walking upstairs into Chloe's main apartment. "Chloe?" He called, looking for the petite young blonde. "Are you here?"

"Hey Clark!" Chloe peeked out at him with a raised eyebrow, walking into the front room with a mug of coffee held in one hand and the TV remote in the other. "What's up?" She queried, quirking her lips into a smirk.

"Chloe..." He hesitated, furrowing his brow at her casual behaviour. "I just got a call from Jimmy, he called to tell me that you were acting... strange. Is something wrong?" He frowned at her, eyeing her warily.

Chloe set the cup of coffee down on the glass table in front of her, falling back into the dark red couch next to her. "No, I'm fine, why?"

He walked over and sat down in the chair opposite her. "You're sure? He sounded really upset."

She shrugged. "Probably because I dumped him." She stated casually.

And just like that he shot out of the chair, eyes wide in alarm. "You _WHAT?" _He yelled. "Why? Why did you do that?" He asked her in horror.

Chloe looked at him strangely. "Because I didn't like him that way." She said, simply.

Clark blinked, still stunned over her casual words, as though she and Jimmy hadn't been in a relationship for going-on three years. "But... You're engaged." He stuttered.

"_Were_ engaged." She corrected. "And with a plastic ring, I mean, who does that?" She said disgustedly. "Who over the age of twelve, that is." She corrected.

"So... It was the ring?" He asked her, wondering how she could behave so callously.

"The ring was a part of it; I mean, I'm not a material girl, but Christ..." She mumbled. "But, overall, it was his constant jealousy of you, his lack of faith and trust in me, the on-again, off-again periods, the constant not-being around each-other... I mean, I just don't understand why we were even still dating, let alone engaged." She hissed. "And the sex wasn't even that great, in fact-" "Whoa!" Clark cut across her, grimacing. "Too much information." He murmured.

"Chloe." He started, trying to reason with her. "You _love_ Jimmy." He stressed.

"Clark." She started, rolling her eyes. "I _don't_ love Jimmy." She stressed.

"Chloe," He tried again, looking into her eyes. "You and Jimmy have been together for so long, through thick and thin-"

"Actually, Clark," Chloe spoke, this time cutting across him. "Me and Jimmy have been through thin, and then broke up at thick, and then got together again, and then broke up _again_, and then got together _yet again_." She rambled, ending her statement with a sigh. "It's how I figured out the sex wasn't so great. What," She rolled her eyes at his look of shock. "You thought I just sat at home like a desperate spinster? I'm 22, Clark. Of course I've been to a bar before."

Clark stared, confused. "But, you and Jimmy... You're destined to be together." He stared into her eyes, speaking emotionally.

"_What?" _She hissed. "What the hell does that mean, _D__estined?_" She choked out, trying not to laugh. "Someone's been reading one too many fairy-tales." She said amusedly, watching him blush. "Besides which, if I do have a _destiny_ it sure as hell isn't with Jimmy Olsen." She snickered.

Clark swallowed, trying to restrain his guilt. "This is all my fault." He sighed, looking away.

"I don't see how," She started speaking, idly spinning a curl of blonde hair around her index finger. "But thanks, then." She squinted at him in amusement when he looked down at her in confusion. "Oh please Clark, I would've stayed at home and had his two-point five kids and made dinner every night while he ran around and took pictures with you and Lois and all the while I would've completely forgotten my dream to be a reporter, to get a Pulitzer, to work at the Planet, to enjoy an amazing life as the next best reporter since _Nellie Bly._" She smirked.

"How are you planning on becoming a reporter? Lex had you blacklisted." He reminded her, lips pursed.

"In the Kansas Metropolis area, yeah." She smiled lightly, as though trying to break the news gently.

He stopped, frozen in silence for a brief moment before... _"What?"_

She shrugged slowly, as though unable to see the big deal. "I'm leaving Metropolis."

The red-and-blue clad young man stared at her, as though unable to comprehend her words. "But... But if you leave Metropolis then you and Jimmy will never see each other again."

The blonde shrugged again. "Meh."

He cringed at her nonchalance and tried again. "_We'll _barely ever see each other."

He started when she shrugged _yet again. _"Well, we rarely hang around anyway, in fact we've only seen each other about ten-twenty times in the past two years."

He froze for a moment as he realized that, taking away the times she helped him and the league and the times he asked for advice with his powers, that was around the amount of times he'd seen her during the time-frame. He suddenly felt ashamed, not realizing just how much he'd taken her for granted in the recent past. "Chloe, I'm sorry that I haven't been around as much as I should have, but you can't just leave Metropolis." He pleaded.

"Sorry, Clark." The blonde gave him a sympathetic smile. "But I want to get back into reporting, and working, and seeing guys that actually like _me_, and making friends and..."

"_I'm_ your friend." He spoke beseechingly, blue eyes wide with sadness.

"Clark..." The blonde looked away from his gaze. "We'll still talk on the phone, and e-mail each other, and Lois'll still be here." She comforted awkwardly. "It's difficult, but we'll manage."

"It's not the same."

"I know, I get it. But that's just the way it's got to be. I've already started packing up the kitchen. I'm sorry. You should go." She clearly finished, standing up and moving over to the door.

Clark stared back at her as she closed the door, catching the remorseful look on her face as she did so. "Chloe..."

As the door clicked shut said woman leaned against the wooden frame, wincing as she recalled the look on his face. She had thought he'd be upset but she hadn't been expecting such a crushed look from him, the sheer intensity of it was nearly enough to make her change her mind; but she wouldn't, because for once she was going for what _she _wanted, not just following the crowd.

* * *

Clark frowned as he stepped through the revolving door into the Daily Planet. Chloe's words echoed through his head even as he stepped forward, walking up the stairs that lead to his destination. While it was true that he hadn't been around Chloe as much as he used to, even when she knew about his powers, the fact remained that he couldn't just let her walk away like this. The blonde didn't know what she was doing, didn't know what she was giving up.

The blonde had only stopped working at the Planet a few months ago, and while she hadn't allowed herself to show her distress Clark had known, deep down, that it had to hurt her, he just hadn't known how much. Now, unhindered by the memories that had held her back from her dreams and wants for so long, she had finally revealed just how she felt about things.

He wanted to be happy for her, wanted to congratulate her and tell her to go for it; but he couldn't. It may have been selfish but Clark Kent just couldn't allow her to walk off out of his life, he knew that once she left she wouldn't be coming back, and he couldn't allow it, he just couldn't. Which is what lead to his current action.

"Ms. Mercer!" He called out, jogging to keep up with the redhead even as she turned to him. "I have a favour to ask you."


End file.
